Two Cruise Ships Berth in Wellington Harbour

Was in Wellington on Thursday, and as the taxi drove me round Oriental Bay, I couldn't help noticing a couple of cruise ships berthed in the harbour. Very dramatic.

This rough map shows where they were berthed. You can see the Westpac Stadium near the ships, and also some piles of containers. The Cruise ships are berthed in the main port area. Wellington is working on a more appropriate facility a little North of here, near the Cook Strait Ferry Terminal.

The point is - and the taxi driver confirmed this - that while cruise ships do not berth in downtown Wellington, the city still benefits. Cruise ship passengers all visit and enjoy downtown Wellington, and Wellington benefits from their spending and presence, without losing waterfront amenity, through it being transformed into a Cruise Ship parking place.

These two pedestrians are enjoying Wellington's waterfront, oblivious to the fact that two cruise ships are berthed close by. (You can just make out the superstructure of the Dawn Princess, behind the pile of containers, just behind the rescue helicopter.)

And these two guys - enjoying diving off Wellington's waterfront - are also oblivious to the fact Wellington is being visited by a couple of cruise ships. Their fun is not being affected by cruise ships berthed nearby. Thought they were being photographed by cruise ship passengers visiting Wellington. And this is the point: Wellington's downtown waterfront is a destination for people - including the cruise ship passengers. Wellington understands that it is critical to the success of its waterfront, that it be a people place - rather than a parking place for cars, superyachts, and cruise ships. These vehicles have their place - but it's not detracting from the amenity of the CBD waterfront.